Ubuntu 9.04: Second Alpha from Jaunty Jackalope

The Ubuntu Community has laid its second alpha version of Ubuntu 9.04, alias Jaunty Jackalope, under the Christmas tree.

The latest test version comes with upgraded components such as the Kernel 2.6.28-rc8 and X-org 1.6. Users with ATI/AMD and Nvidia graphic cards are urged to be cautious, as the proprietary 3D drivers for the new X-Server is not yet available. Also, the previously proclaimed nouveau driver for Nvidia cards failed to make the Alpha2 release, giving both the kernel and the X-Server a pre-series character.

Ubuntu 9.04 should be ready by April 2009. At the Ubuntu Developer Summit in early December this year, Ubuntu developers met at Google's home base in Mountain View, California, to discuss which components should be included in Jaunty Jackalope. A summary of the meeting can be read here. Alpha2 can be downloaded from the Ubuntu CD Server.

Among the intended improvements are a quicker boot process, absorption of the Netbook Remix Package into the repository, enhanced power management and an integrated backup solution.